Xuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xuan (玄) 2
Alias(es)	Zenin Gen; Master of the Eight-Handled Sword; strongest sorcerer of the Muromachi period 26 34
Species/Race	Reincarnated human sorcerer; later a vengeful cursed spirit containing Xuan's soul and cursed energy 1 129
Gender	Male 14
Affiliation	Unaffiliated Zenin bloodline; Culling Game player 1 14
Occupation/Role	Ten Shadows sorcerer; mentor to Megumi Fushiguro and other Jujutsu High students 31 33 45
Status	Active as a vengeful cursed spirit 129 131
First Appearance	Chapter 1: “Culling Game” Opening Ceremony

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Second Awakening	93	Awakens after his and Satoru Gojo’s domains collapse; adapts Mahoraga’s domain against Infinite Void and recovers from severe injuries.
Ten Sacred Treasures resurrection	124	Resurrects through the Ten Sacred Treasures and the Buru Mantra, returning to peak condition.
Vengeful Cursed Spirit	129	Becomes a vengeful cursed spirit whose soul and immense cursed energy are sealed within a cursed-spirit body; Reverse Cursed Technique cannot exorcise him.
Mimic Shadow Technique	130	His former Ten Shadows abilities are replaced by a shadow-based technique that imitates and enhances techniques he has witnessed.
Opponent-adapting ritual wheel	131	Develops a ritual wheel that adapts not merely to techniques, but to the opponent themself.

Background / History

Xuan was an unaffiliated bearer of the Zenin Clan’s Ten Shadows Technique during the Muromachi period. He was regarded as that era’s strongest sorcerer and is identified as the only sorcerer in jujutsu history to have subjugated Mahoraga. Despite this lineage, the Zenin Clan left no record of him, and Xuan had no desire to return to or lead the clan. 1 9 34

Historical accounts described him as a sorcerer with multiple cursed techniques, no enemies, and a rank “first beneath Sukuna,” though Xuan dismissed that description as subjective. He sought reincarnation in order to test those claims and fight Sukuna to the death. 2 10

During the Muromachi period, Xuan was accused of killing the Star Plasma Vessel and became the target of a campaign involving roughly three hundred sorcerers, including the heads of the Kamo and Gojo Clans. After using Mahoraga and six offensive shikigami, he killed the remaining thirty Grade 1-or-stronger combatants in under three minutes. He later withdrew from the world; Kenjaku’s report claimed that the strongest had committed suicide. 11

Xuan reincarnated into a body in Sendai in 2018. His first attempt to use the Ten Shadows revealed that his connection to Mahoraga and several other shikigami had been severed by incarnation, though he retained access to his shadows and Divine Dogs. 1

Appearance

Xuan appears as a young man who looks no older than twenty despite originating from the Muromachi period. 2

• Golden eyes; later described with vertical, animal-like pupils. 90 129
• Possesses an immense cursed-energy reserve that other ancient sorcerers compare to Sukuna’s. 8 15
• In his vengeful cursed-spirit state, he remains outwardly similar to his human appearance while becoming increasingly inhuman in presence. 129

Personality

Xuan is calm, confident, and frequently provocative in battle. He enjoys testing powerful opponents, but he is not indiscriminately bloodthirsty: he spared both Ryu Ishigori and Uro Takako after defeating them, choosing conversation and food over execution. 5 10

His pursuit of strength is tempered by a strong sense of humanity. When Hajime Kashimo questions how someone overwhelmingly powerful should treat ordinary people, Xuan rejects the idea that strength places sorcerers above others. 19

Although he calls himself an imperfect teacher, Xuan is patient when explaining the Ten Shadows Technique, barrier construction, Domain Expansion, and Reverse Cursed Technique applications. He is especially invested in Megumi Fushiguro’s potential as another Ten Shadows user. 31 33 45 110

Abilities & Skills

Ten Shadows Technique

Xuan’s innate technique is the Ten Shadows Technique. Unlike conventional Zenin users, he treats the shadows themselves—not merely the ten shikigami—as the foundation of the technique. 16

• Uses shadows for movement, defense, storage, weapon formation, binding, and direct attacks. 3 5 15
• Can partially manifest shikigami abilities over his body by expending additional cursed energy under layered Binding Vows. 5 87 110
• Uses shikigami as external cursed-energy vessels, nearly doubling his usable cursed-energy capacity rather than granting an infinite supply. 15
• Can summon or borrow the abilities of Divine Dogs, Nue, Max Elephant, Piercing Ox, Tiger Funeral, Round Deer, Toad, Great Serpent, Rabbit Escape, and Mahoraga. 1 6 12 14 31
• Tamed Tiger Funeral, gaining its immense physical power and cutting technique. 14

Shikigami Borrowing

Rather than fighting only beside fully summoned shikigami, Xuan channels their properties directly into his own attacks.

• Divine Dogs — Produces claws, slashing attacks, enhanced tracking, and techniques such as Dog: Eight and Dog: Release. 4 9
• Nue — Grants lightning discharge, aerial movement, wings, and extreme acceleration. 7 8 15
• Max Elephant — Produces high-pressure water attacks and imitations of Piercing Blood. 12 93
• Piercing Ox — Enhances speed, momentum, and striking force; sustained acceleration makes his attacks progressively heavier. 12 125
• Great Serpent — Enables evasive, snake-shedding-style movement. 3 12
• Round Deer — Used as a mount after its modulation is completed. 24

Technique Reversal: Light

By reversing the shadow-based output of the Ten Shadows Technique, Xuan converts himself into light. 4 16

• Allows near-light-speed movement and makes him untouchable by ordinary physical interaction. 4 16
• Prevents him from harming opponents while fully transformed; he must exit the state immediately before impact to attack. 4 16
• His shikigami can still damage targets while Xuan himself is in the light state. 4
• Requires immense cursed energy and precise timing, making sustained use difficult. 16 125

Technique Lapse: Shadow

Xuan concentrates shadows into destructive projectiles and weapons through chants such as “Rebirth,” “Abyss,” and “Bottom of Lightlessness.” 16 28

• Creates spears, spheres, and dense shadow projectiles. 16 28
• Can bombard multiple predicted enemy positions at once. 28
• Forms hardened shadow barriers, cloth, waves, and weapons in close combat. 3 9 15

Hollow Technique: Chaos

Hollow Technique: Chaos combines Technique Lapse: Shadow and Technique Reversal: Light. 18 48

• Engulfs targets in a chaotic, non-reality space. 18
• Can stretch a moment into an extended subjective span of time, leaving targets vulnerable while they process the experience. 48 97
• Weakens the output of Limitless when used against Satoru Gojo. 97
• Xuan can safely withstand point-blank Chaos after Mahoraga adapts to it. 97

Mahoraga and Adaptation

Xuan is the only known sorcerer to have fully subjugated the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga. 34

• Borrows Mahoraga’s strength, Dharma wheel, and Sword of Extermination. 87 93
• Uses Mahoraga’s adaptation to counter domains, cursed techniques, and specific attack effects. 48 93 95
• Partial shikigami manifestations normally operate at roughly sixty percent effectiveness while retaining their full cursed-energy cost. 87
• Mahoraga’s Sword of Extermination can be infused with positive energy to increase its durability, sharpness, and striking power. 110
• Mahoraga remains deeply loyal to Xuan and resists accepting his defeat or departure. 129

Reverse Cursed Technique and Barrier Mastery

Xuan mastered Reverse Cursed Technique and barrier techniques at approximately sixteen years old. 4

• Heals severe wounds rapidly, including burns, lightning damage, and lost limbs. 15 93
• Uses positive energy to create a light-based Max Elephant. 94
• Employs Hollow Wicker Basket to resist sure-hit domain effects. 3 5
• Teaches barrier construction and Domain Expansion principles through geometric analogies. 33 45

Domain Expansion: Dark Surge Eight Settled Waters

Xuan’s Domain Expansion is an open-barrier domain centered on himself rather than a fixed shrine. 5

• Floods the area with an ocean-like mass of shadows capable of binding, cutting, and draining an opponent’s cursed energy. 5
• Can summon Ten Shadows shikigami or use their techniques anywhere within the domain. 5
• Destroys closed domains from within by treating Xuan’s own body as the domain’s shrine. 5
• Its Binding Vows grant mobility, but reduce its range and make its boundary fragile enough for opponents to escape. 52
• Can also be deployed as a faster closed domain when circumstances demand it. 90

Mimic Shadow Technique

After becoming a vengeful cursed spirit, Xuan’s abilities change into the Mimic Shadow Technique. 130

• Imitates techniques he has witnessed through shadows. 130
• Can combine copied techniques with abilities such as Blood Manipulation and shadow-based attacks. 130
• Copied techniques are inferior imitations compared with the originals. 131
• His later ritual wheel adapts directly to opponents rather than only to their techniques. 131

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Merchant God’s Scepter — A cursed tool whose shadow-forged extensions can change into a short blade, scythe, greatsword, hammer, and other weapon forms. 11 14 15
• Sword of Extermination — Mahoraga’s weapon, wielded by Xuan after borrowing or manifesting Mahoraga’s power. 87 93
• Ten Sacred Treasures — Used with the Buru Mantra to resurrect Xuan at peak condition. 124

Relationships

• Mahoraga / Little Demon — Xuan’s strongest shikigami and closest combat partner; Mahoraga is loyal to him and refuses to abandon him after his defeat. 34 95 129
• Ryu Ishigori — Ancient-sorcerer rival whom Xuan overwhelms in Sendai, then spares and offers a hamburger. 2 5
• Uro Takako — Heian-era opponent whom Xuan spares in exchange for information about Sukuna. 8 10
• Hajime Kashimo — Rival whose battle with Xuan leads to mutual respect; Xuan later encourages Kashimo to make friends and kill fewer people. 14 19
• Megumi Fushiguro — Fellow Ten Shadows user and student. Xuan offers to teach him the technique and later trains him in barrier fundamentals. 31 45
• Yuji Itadori — Ally and student in barrier theory; Xuan includes Yuji in his training plans. 33 107
• Satoru Gojo — Modern-era strongest and major rival. Their clashes involve repeated domain battles, mutual adaptation, and explicit respect. 90 97
• Kenjaku — Long-standing enemy who possesses knowledge of Xuan’s history and confronts him using a version of Xuan’s own abilities. 34 86 88
• Tengen — Recognizes Xuan as the Master of the Eight-Handled Sword and warns that Kenjaku may exploit his corpse. 33 34
• Fumihiko Takaba — Opponent whose comedic technique adapts to and nullifies Xuan’s conventional attacks. 21 124

Story Role / Major Arcs

Sendai Colony

Xuan awakens in Sendai, confronts Ryu Ishigori, and reveals the versatility of his Ten Shadows-derived combat style. After breaking Ryu’s closed domain with Dark Surge Eight Settled Waters, he spares him rather than taking his points. 1 5

He later fights Uro Takako, learns about Sukuna’s open-barrier domain and Binding Vows, and allows her to live. He also negotiates with Dhruv Lakdawalla rather than immediately killing him. 8 10 11

Tokyo Colonies

After taming Tiger Funeral, Xuan enters Tokyo No. 2 Colony to fight Hajime Kashimo. Their battle pushes both fighters to use Reverse Cursed Technique, Black Flash, high-speed combat, and Hollow Techniques before Xuan defeats Kashimo. 14 16 18

In Tokyo No. 1 Colony, Xuan fights Hiromi Higuruma and becomes subject to a second Deadly Sentencing trial over alleged Muromachi-period killings. He later heals Higuruma after their battle. 26 28

Mentor and Ally

Xuan joins Yuji, Yuta, Megumi, Choso, and others. He confirms his Ten Shadows Technique to Megumi, offers instruction, and helps explain barriers and Domain Expansion at the Fallen Star Palace. 31 33

Mahoraga and the Strongest

Xuan demonstrates his prior subjugation of Mahoraga and later engages Satoru Gojo in a prolonged battle of domains, adaptation, Reverse Cursed Technique, and Hollow Techniques. Infinite Void severely injures Xuan’s brain and causes domain burnout, but he and Mahoraga ultimately shatter Gojo’s domain together. 34 90 95

Resurrection and Cursed-Spirit Transformation

After resurrecting through the Ten Sacred Treasures, Zenin Gen returns at peak condition and overwhelms the depleted Gojo and Sukuna. He subsequently becomes a vengeful cursed spirit, releases the Ten Shadows, and develops the Mimic Shadow Technique. 124 129 130

Notable Quotes

“We're human first, and sorcerers second. If being too strong makes you lose your human side, then what's the difference between you and a curse?” 19

“My name is Xuan. Don't casually address people by their techniques.” 90

Trivia

• Xuan retained memories of a prior life in which he had read Jujutsu Kaisen up to the Sendai confrontation involving Yuta Okkotsu. 1
• He enjoys modern food and cooking, including preparing meals for his companions after the Sendai battles. 5 10
• His historical identity was disputed because his combat style resembled both Cursed Spirit Manipulation and the Ten Shadows Technique. 12